The Nude Vampire
Review by Peter Syslo

THE NUDE VAMPIRE (1969) is a bizarre blend of eroticism, horror, and just plain surrealism. It is like a combination of the visual/stylistic elements of EYES WIDE SHUT, SUSPIRIA, PHANTASM, and any Ken Russell movie (TOMMY, etc.). Although the exact plot was a bit difficult to follow, I found that the visuals (not just the nudity) flowed with a “hypnotic” rhythm, and everything seemed to make sense, somehow. It is not really a traditional “vampire” film, but it was definitely something different and I enjoyed viewing it, – it was like having Indian or Thai food; every now and then it’s nice to experience something completely different.

THE NUDE VAMPIRE is directed by Jean Rollin and it stars Olivier Martin, Maurice Lemaitre, Caroline Cartier, and Ly Letrong. It is a French film and, currently, it is being distributed by Salvation Films (www.salvation-films.com), a company that specializes in darkly erotic films, music, literature, etc.

The film centers on a young man, whose father is a businessman, in Paris . The father owns an office complex and also operates a secret club by night; the son is curious and wants to see what the club is all about. The club is like a sexual masquerade party; people wear masks, there’s a little S&M going on, it’s very clandestine, and the women tend to be naked – a lot. At the heart of this “club” is a woman who appears to be very special – it turns out that the father thinks she is a vampire and wants to harness the power of her blood. The son begins falling for this woman and as the movie plays out, we find out the true meaning of the woman’s existence and what that means for both father and son.

The storyline is pretty wild and it does have various levels to it; the visuals really bring it home and produce a dreamlike quality which feels very natural. Yes, there is a lot of nudity (mostly topless) but it does not detract from the overall film; for some reason the erotic content seems very natural (it enhances the film). That’s probably the real strongpoint of this film – all of the elements themselves are very odd, but when they come together they do fit very nicely. That is why I compared this film to the aforementioned films – those are movies that accomplish that same feat.

Cutting to the chase: I didn’t think that I was going to like the film, but I did. However, it’s not something that I would watch frequently; it is one of those films that I have to be in the mood for it, to watch it. That’s not a bad thing, either – it’s very comforting to have that “holistic” quality to a movie collection. As previously stated, the bizarre visuals really drive the film – from the gratuitous celebration of the bosom to the bloodless “Dark Shadows” – esque violence. The convoluted story seems to take a back seat to the vignettes painted by director Rollin and the movie, overall, becomes a snapshot of foreign filmmaking, in that time period. Translation: if you didn’t know what year the film was made, you could definitely deduce it from seeing the first 5 minutes. If you like straightforward, linear films, you might not like this or if you are expecting traditional vampire fare, you might not like it either; but, if you are adventurous and like the occasional taste of the exotic, give it a try.